What does 55 mean on a tire?

The “55” grouping is the aspect ratio and is by far one of the most misunderstood dimensions. This is the height of the sidewall from wheel to tread relative to the width. Manufacturer's represent this measurement in a percentage, so in our example, the sidewall is 129.25 millimeters — 5.08 inches — tall (235 x 0.55).

Is 55 a low profile tire?

Generally, low profile tires are those with an aspect ratio of 55 or less, though this can vary slightly.

What does 55 mean on a tire size?

After the slash is a two-digit number, which dictates the Aspect Ratio. This ratio measures the height of the tire's cross-section to its width. In our example, the Aspect Ratio is '55', meaning the height of the tire is equal to 55 percent of the tire's width. The larger the aspect ratio, the taller the tire.

What's the difference between 50 and 55 tires?

The 50 (or 55) is the height of the sidewall, as a percentage of the width. That's your aspect ratio. With a 55 aspect ratio, and a 225 treadwidth, you'll end up with a tire that is 3/4 of an inch taller that the 225/50.

What is the difference between a 55 and 65 series tire?

Some people do this deliberately in the winter, as the 65 series will give you more sidewall which gives you more ground clearance. There's a 6.4 percent difference in your diameter which means at 100km/h, your actually doing 106.

How to Read a Tire Size

Can I use 205 60r16 instead of 205 55r16?

Yes. It will have a slightly lower sidewall height, but should work fine.

What size rim do you need for 205 55r16?

For instance, if we use the tyre size of 205/55 R16 as an example, it is generally recommended to use a rim that is 6.5 inches wide (the rim width is the first number given in the rim size marking). However, it would also be possible to fit this tyre onto a rim between 5.5 and 7.5 inches wide.

Can I use 55 profile Tyres instead 50?

There is not a whole lot of difference between a 50 and 55 series tire in terms of ride or handing. You may not notice any difference at all, depending on the composition and construction of the tires themselves. The new tire is going to be taller, and have a larger circumference, but not much.

What's the difference between 225 50r17 and 225 55r17?

Usually the lower the two-digit number, the wider the tire. The three digits (225) following the service type, tell us the cross-section width of the tire in millimerters. In the example, the 50 width tire will bethe wider tire, whiler 55 will be slightly taller.

Is a 50 or 60 tire wider?

For example, a 60-series tire features a sidewall that is 60% as tall as the tire's section width. A 50-series tire will feature a shorter sidewall, at 50% of section width.

What does 55R16 mean?

The next two digits on your tyre code are the aspect ratio, or profile height of the tyre sidewall expressed as a percentage of the tyre width. Using the 205/55R16 code, the 55 shows that the aspect ratio of the tyre is 55% of the width. Radial. Almost all new tyres manufactured in the UK are radial tyres.

What does 50r mean on tires?

50 is the two-figure aspect ratio. This percentage compares the tire's section height with the tire's section width. For example, this aspect ratio of 50 means that the tire's section height is 50% of the tire's section width. R indicates the construction used within the tires casing. R stands for radial construction.

What does the 55 stand for in P205 55R16 91h?

The number “55" refers to the nominal aspect ratio, i.e. the ratio of the tyre's height to its width. In this case, the height of the sidewall is 55 percent of the nominal width. The abbreviation “R" says something about the construction and describes the way the cords of the casing are arranged.

Do low profile tires ride rough?

Low-profile tires are used mostly on sports cars to improve a vehicle's handling, performance, and looks. A larger contact patch area provides better grip on dry paved roads, and with larger rims and brakes, the car also stops faster. However, the ride is rather rough, because tires absorb less shock from bumps.

Are low profile tires easier to pop?

Low profile tires can also pick up nails and other foreign easier causing punctures. This tends to occur from the low profile tire having a shallower tread depth which makes it more vulnerable. This can allow a nail to make it through the tire faster causing it to puncture.

Are low profile tires good in snow?

Low–Profile Tires

If this is the case, you may want to consider buying a spare set of the smaller wheels for your snow tires. Your vehicle's low-profile tires are great for making the car more responsive on dry roads, but the taller sidewall of a smaller wheel size will offer more flex and grip in the snow.

Can I use 215 50r17 instead of 225 50r17?

Banned. It will be fine not much of a different at all. It will throw your speedometer off a little.

What does P225 55r17 mean?

This number means that your tire has an aspect ratio of 55%. In other words, your tire's sidewall height (from the edge of the rim to the tire's tread) is 55% of the width.

Can I use a tire with a smaller aspect ratio?

That said, the only dimensions you can change are the width and aspect ratio — never the wheel size, unless you buy replacement wheels — and you should always strive to keep the total height of the tire the same as the OEM.

Does the middle number on tires matter?

The two-digit number after the slash mark in a tire size is the aspect ratio. For example, in a size P215/65 R15 tire, the 65 means that the height is equal to 65% of the tire's width. The bigger the aspect ratio, the bigger the tire's sidewall will be.

What's the difference between a 45 and a 50 tire?

got that 1 wrong, the 45 and 50 is a percentage of the width, so the difference between 45 and 50 profiles is 5% of the width. Correct, its the aspect ratio of the tyre - the size (height) of the tyre wall compared to the width of the tyre. How much acceleration will be lost by using a higher aspect tyre.

Can different tire sizes fit same rim?

Wheels and tires are not interchangeable words. Tires are a part of the wheel setup. For instance, your vehicle has a set size of rims, but you can buy different sizes of tires to fit those rims, as long as the middle of the tires is the correct size.

Can I put 215 tires on 205 rims?

If you are have a 205/50-16 tire and want to install a wider tire, you can install a 215/45-16 tire. The side profile is expressed as a percentage of the width and therefore needs to be smaller as the width becomes larger in order for the outer profile to remain the same.